Setting Free the Bird of Peace
by Coreoshii
Summary: Shia and Gaara have great lives together; a great home, a great village to live in, a great relationship. However, a reoccuring nightmare is haunting Shia in her sleep, and slowly revealing things to her. Something is happening...But what? RxR! Lemon.


Hello, all you readers out there. This is my first story on this website, and I shall update as often as possible. I would really appreciate reviews on my work, and I hope Setting Free The Bird Of Peace captures your interest.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of its characters.

WARNING: THERE WILL BE SEXUAL SCENES IN (ONE/ A FEW) OF THESE CHAPTERS. I'm not sure what chapter(s) yet. I'll be sure to set up another warning, but this fan-fiction will be rated Mature.

IMPORTANT NOTE, READ TO UNDERSTAND, DAGNABIT.: The abduction of Gaara by Akatsuki never happened. Gaara is the Kazekage, however. He is now a man of nineteen, with a girlfriend, Shia, who is also nineteen. They have been together for nearly four years. Temari and Kankuro live in separate households; Temari and Shikamaru are together, and Kankuro is not taken, at the moment.

Enjoy, and don't forget to REVIEW! I won't have any motivation to continue, if I don't know anyone likes it.

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_"No, wait! Please wait!" Shia ran with all her strength after the quickly fading woman who weaved through the corridors in front of her. Her legs, her face, her arms, her heart; they all ached, but with what? What was this feeling? Pain? No, not pain. Maybe…_

_She finally reached the familiar large room where the woman stood, in the middle on a stone slab. She saw her tremble; she saw the deep red eyes glowing behind her in the shadows. They flickered out of view with a vile narrowing and a deep growl that echoed off the walls. The woman, too, seemed to flicker in-and-out of existence as she spoke._

"_The World. The World…Is..." The woman's voice faded away, like it always did. Her auburn hair was strewn in fine layers about her beautiful face, and her deep blue eyes seemed to bore their way into Shia's soul as she stood frozen before her. "The…W..or…ld…Is…" Then, just like before, just like every time, the woman screamed in terror, lifting her head to the open night sky and grasping at her hair with clenched fists. The moonlight that peeked through the gaping hole in the rocky ceiling gave her a near eerie look as it reflected from her eyes, almost seeming to turn them as milky white as the moon itself._

_Then, just like always, a gargantuan, sandy-colored clawed hand tore through the rock behind her, grabbing her and pulling her into the darkness. Her shriek mixed with the roar of the un-named monster as rain began to fall upon where the woman once stood, just moments before. The air became stale with the stench of blood, the flowers and vines around her seemed to brown in Death, and her vision began to blur. Finally came the pounding ache that bore through her skull, that ate through her entire body. Falling to her knees, she too, screamed in agony as the clawed hand reached for her, pulling her into an eternal darkness._

--

Shia sat upright in her bed and smacked at her blaring alarm clock, sweat beads dripping from her face. Her breath came in rapid spurts, her eyes wide and staring ahead at her wall. They fell upon a picture; a picture of her and her love, sitting on a bench outside of Suna with the happiest looks on their faces. The embrace that held them together was far from the love that bonded their souls in a forever loving song, that sang forever over, and over. It would never perish, in either of their souls. She looked over at the bed space next to her, but didn't find him there. Must have gone out early, she guessed.

Her breathing slowed after a time, and a quick smile crossed her lips as she looked at the photograph. As she got out of bed, she grabbed a tissue from her nightstand and wiped her face a few times over and pulled her black hair into a ponytail after she brushed it, being sure to double it over into a bun to hold her long locks. Patting it once, she walked into her bathroom and gazed at herself in the mirror, glaring at her reflection.

"The world is what? Why don't you ever tell me? I'm so confused! Why does this dream keep happening?" She pounded her fist on the sink counter and gritted her teeth, glaring even more menacingly at her mirrored self. The nightmare had been haunting Shia for a while now, though she couldn't remember exactly how long. It had always shown her snippets of strange things, leaving her hanging as it went a little farther into detail each time she had it. Even so, it never told her what she wanted to know: The strange woman never finished her sentence. Though it let her rest peacefully most nights, it kept haunting her thoughts when she had those moments alone in her room to sit and think. Some nights, she'd even have that same nightmare multiple times. She never understood why. It was like a premonition that was trying to tell her something, she thought, but nothing ever happened. Her life was happy, and it had always stayed that way. Nothing out of the ordinary; no monsters, no creepy fading women, nor any gleaming, evil red eyes. She sighed and picked up her toothbrush, but froze as she began to put the toothpaste on. Her left eye twitched.

Cat hair. All over her toothbrush. And was that cat drool dripping off the side of the bristles?

"Chai! You damn cat! Stay out of my bathroom!" Hearing her name, the big black cat slinked into the room, purring slyly and rubbing against Shia's leg, eventually jumping up on the counter to stare at her, blue eyes blinking innocently, tail flicking to-and-fro. If cats could grin, Chai would be all over it. She mewed, sitting her overgrown rear-end on the counter and picking her paw up to lick at it, occasionally glancing up at Shia.

"Yeah, yeah. You know you're guilty. Don't think you're getting any Fancy Feast this morning, you little brat," she muttered, rubbing her thumb on the toothbrush under the sink water, sighing and giving up after a minute, throwing it into the trash. "Great, now I can't brush my teeth. Thanks a bunch, cat. Out!" Chai flinched and hissed as Shia flicked her nose, jumping off the counter to scurry to the kitchen. "Stupid…Ugh, I swear. Sometimes…" After slamming the door behind her, she walked over and opened her dresser to find the simple outfit of a red tank-top and blue-jean shorts, accompanied by her squishy red sandals. Outfit complete, she checked her hair bun in the mirror again, and went to the kitchen.

The sunny yellow cabinets and pale orange walls greeted her with morning cheer, and she smiled and pulled the string to the curtains by the window, spreading them to allow the sunlight into the kitchen. Chai mewed at her feet, pawing and rubbing at her leg, begging for her morning meal.

"In a minute, cat." Shia responded, kicking at her slightly to get her off of her leg. Pulling open a cabinet to her left, she had to back up quickly and reach out her hand to catch the piece of paper that fell out. She flipped it over. A note:

_Didn't expect this, did you?_

_Ha-ha, well, sorry if it startled you._

_I had to leave early this morning due to something in the office,_

_but I will be waiting for you in our usual spot around seven._

_See you there, Shia._

Shia felt her heart flutter as she read the unsigned note. It was clear whom it was from, so no signature was needed. Giggling, she held the note to her chest for a moment before setting it on the counter and reaching up into the cabinet for her cereal. Opening the cabinet next to it, she grabbed a bowl and stepped back to go to the table. She heard a screech she knew to be Chai's, and she lifted her foot from the cat's tail, only to be hissed at. She felt claws sink into the back of her leg.

"Yeeeouch!" She tumbled backwards, dropping the cereal, and as she hit the floor, the bowl broke in her hands, sending glass everywhere. Chai instantly bolted out of the room, and Shia sat up and grabbed her slightly bleeding hand. "Ooh, ouch that hurts!" Squeezing it, she carefully stood up and checked her legs, noticing that her right knee was bleeding as well. "Crap, this is really going to put a dent in my morning time. Speaking of time…" Her eyes widened and she glanced over at the clock over the fridge. "Seven already! I won't have that much time to see him, before work! Crap!" She went over to and turned on the sink, letting the cool water rush over her hand. It stung, and she winced and pulled it out of the water, wrapping a towel around it. "Bandages, bandages," she walked around the glass, heading for her bathroom. "I should have them in my bathroom." And sure enough, she found them under the sink. While sitting down on the edge of her bed, she wrapped her hand and knee tight with the bandages and clenched and unclenched her right fist, making sure the blood didn't bleed through.

"All right, good. Now, I have to go." She ran out of her room, down the hall, and to the kitchen. "…Oh, right." Grabbing a broom from beside the fridge, she commenced to cleaning up the glassy mess, then to feeding the cat (no Fancy Feast, of course), and then finally to grabbing a breakfast bar and running out the door.

"Ah, gosh, what a hectic morning, already." Sighing, she looked down at her wristwatch, which told her it was seven-twenty. In a matter of minutes, she found herself at the kage's office and she went inside, taking the stairs to her left to the top floor, throwing her trash away from the breakfast bar on the way up. "Seven-thirty, I have a half hour…" Finding herself in the kage's office, she went over to the sliding-glass door, leading to the outside balcony. She opened it and went out, jumping onto the roof in one swift leap.

And there he was. His crimson hair swayed with the gentle breeze, and when he looked up at her, his entire face seemed to smile; his aquamarine eyes became more gentle and seemed to smile in their own way; his lips upturned in a gesture of happy greeting. Turning his head towards her, he patted the roof next to him, holding his arm out. Shia's heart fluttered, like it always did. It would never change, she would always have this feeling.

"Good morning, Gaara!" She sighed happily as she sat next to him, and blushed slightly as he pulled her closer with his arm.

"Good morning, Shia," He paused for a moment, staring at her.

"Is there something wrong?"

"You're…bleeding. I can smell it." She froze.

"Uh, yeah. It was just an accident this morning with Chai. I dropped one of our bowls, and it shattered and cut me. But I'm fine, so don't worry." She quirked her head to the side and giggled nervously, and heard him chuckle.

"No worries. Just make sure you tend to it." Stroking her shoulder with his free hand, he gently grabbed her chin and pulled it up to kiss her. She smiled and pushed her lips gently into his, wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing her whole body into him, nearly knocking them over. They broke after a minute, and he stared at her, grinning. After a moment, she thought she understood why.

"Oh, uh, gosh, it's my breath, isn't it? I-I didn't get to brush my teeth this morning! The cat…a-and the…Uh, erm…I-I had to throw my toothbrush away—"

"The smell of blood mixed with the smell of moldy cheese really doesn't go well." His grin widened.

"M-My breath does not smell like moldy cheese!"

"I was kidding, Shia. You taste as good as normal." He licked his lips, making her entire face flush a deep red.

"You do, too." And she too, licked her lips, stroking his chin with her hand.

"Sexy." He wrapped his arm around her and stroked her hair. Leaning into him, she took his free hand and wrapped hers around it, smiling and looking up at the sky.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Forever and always?" He gently kissed her forehead.

"Forever and always." She saw him reach into his pocket for something, and she heard something beep.

"What was…"

"Shia, look." He pointed up to the sky, where the sun was just rising over the horizon. Her eyes widened, and she stood up to get a better look at the spectacle flying through the morning light.

A bird, maybe twice the size of an adult swan, with beautiful rainbow colored feathers, a head as red as the rising sun, and a flowing tail that stretched twice the length of its body, was flying with brilliant form through the morning sky, showering it with sparkling, radiant light. The sound it emitted was even more beautiful.

"It sounds…like wind chimes and a chorus of angels…It's…beautiful." Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it vanished in a flash of bright rainbow color, seeming to melt into the rising sun, that was now half-way peaking over the desert horizon. She smiled, and turned back around. "Gaara that was--…Gaara?"

Just like the bird, he had vanished.

"Gaara? Where…Gaara!" Her watch beeped, and she glanced at it. With one more look at the sky behind her that held the beautiful spectacle just moments before, she jumped onto the balcony and walked into the kage's office, not finding him there, either. "Gaara! Gah, I have to go, so if you're there…I love you." She stood there for a moment before leaving for her work at the Suna academy. He merely chuckled.

"I love you, too." Though she couldn't hear him.

--

Work went slower than a snail. She had so many questions, the pain in her hand and knee seemed to only swell with the passing time, and she couldn't get her mind clear. Why was Gaara acting so strange? What was with that beautiful bird? (Surely, nothing like that flies above Suna, or rather, even exists!) And the nightmare, though it was at the farthest recesses of her mind at the moment, and perhaps, maybe that was for the better.

She sighed.

"Jared, please, get your finger out of your nose and throw the kunai at the target." She tapped the target with her finger and stepped aside.

"Yes ma'am."

Why did Gaara leave so early that morning, anyway? Maybe that bird had something to do with him…Maybe, yes! Whatever he had in his pocket! Surely, that was the answer. No…He probably just had paper work to do in the office this morning…? And maybe that thing in his pocket was merely…Uh…What WAS it?

"Ah! I just don't know!" Shia stamped her foot, realized before long what she'd just done. Every student stared with raised eyebrows. "A-Ah, um! Lunch time, you guys! Go ahead inside."

"I didn't even get to throw!" yelled one.

"What's wrong, Miss Shia!" yelled another.

"I gotta gooo…" yelled another.

"All right, all right, everyone inside!" She ushered the students inside and lowered the kunai boards, unhooking them from their wall hangings and stacking them on the ground. Rubbing her hands together, she followed them inside.

--

"All right, Miss Shia. I will see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mr. Baraki." Shia bowed shallowly to her boss and turned to head towards home, sighing. "Gosh what a day. It's already nine-thirty." As she reached home, she stopped. No lights were on. "He isn't home? Hm. Oh?" Coming to the door, she saw something taped to the wood.

A note. It read:

_Meet me in our special place again,_

_Once you get off work._

_I know you must be tired, but you won't regret it._

_I promise, Shia._

_See you there,_

_Gaara._

"Hm…" was Shia's only response as she stared at the note. She felt her cheeks pink, and she folded the note and put it in her pocket.

Whenever Gaara did something mysterious like this, it meant something good. "It's probably something to celebrate our relationship. Wow, it's already been four years. He did something like this last year, too…Wonder what's this time!" She remembered last year, when he threw a surprise party for her. He had everyone in town in on it. Smiling, she giggled and walked back towards the kage's office.

--

He was there waiting for her when she arrived. The moonlight reflected off of his deep, aquamarine eyes, and as she gazed at him, she nearly got lost within the beauty. She gazed at him from the balcony below, and he stared down at her, smiling.

Patting the seat next to him gently, he muttered, "Come up." She smiled in response, and stared at him for a moment before jumping up on the roof and starting to walk toward him. Everything…was so perfect. This night, their relationship, and…Him.

Shia ignored Ichibi completely unlike most other strangers when they first met, and merely looked to the man on the inside. Gaara was no monster, she thought. He's gentle and kind, protective and loving. Sure, he's spunky, and even sometimes you swear he goes through man PMS, but over all, he's great. No force, no person, no _demon_ would ever change that.

"It's a beautiful night," he said when she sat down next to him. He wrapped his arm lovingly about her shoulder and smiled, capturing her heart in the moonlit moment.

"Yep, it sure is!"

"You know what tomorrow is, right?"

"It'll be four years…It feels like we've been together for so much longer." She smiled, and he did, as well.

"Indeed. Shia?"

"Um…Yes?" She could feel her heartbeat pounding in her throat.

"Close your eyes." She blinked, slightly confused, but obeyed. He pulled her head into his chest and chuckled. A beautiful sound filled the air just a moment later, which Shia recognized immediately.

The sound of wind chimes and a chorus of angels. It seemed louder this time, and she felt Gaara's fingers over her eyes. A swift wind flushed past them and stopped suddenly, and the air seemed to warm up and become more peaceful, somehow.

"All right, Shia. Look."

She opened her eyes and instantly lost all train of thought, even couldn't breathe for a moment.

The rainbow bird, standing tall with wings outstretched, stood maybe five feet in front of them. It's beady, red eyes met hers, and she felt calmed, peaceful, forgot all else for a moment. She glanced over at Gaara, mouth ajar, with wide eyes. He merely nodded towards the bird, a large smile on his face. The magnificent bird lifted its head and filled the air with the beautiful call yet again and lifted one of its flaming red talons in Shia's direction.

"Take it." Gaara whispered.

"Take…what?" Shia shifted glances from Gaara and back to the bird, then crawled to her hands and knees, placing her hand under the bird's clawed foot. The bird released its grip on the item and it fell into Shia's hand with a plop. Gaara wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

It was a small box. She opened it, tears welling up in her eyes. The bird's call filled the air as it beats its wings and took flight, showering both of them in radiant sparkling light.

Shia's breath caught in her throat as Gaara leaned his mouth against her ear.

"Shia, will you marry me?"

--

All right, you guys! End of chapter one, please stay tuned for chapter two. REVIEW. I shall put my responses to your reviews in the beginning of the next chapter. I also have a life it seems at school, and with activities and such, so I am sorry if I'm a bit slow at updating. Though I do work on my chapters every morning. Ah, well, anyways! On with chapter two! Awaaay!


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